Here is today's summary of economic development news, a free service of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, representing Alabama's private sector investment in economic development. If you enjoy NewsFlash, thank an
EDPA Partner.

Since 2014, EDPA, through its Alabama Launchpad program, has identified people, startups, small businesses and corporations making breakthroughs, being game-changers and continuing to make Alabama a source of innovation.

The U.S. Navy has picked five shipbuilders to advance to the next round of its future frigate program, including Mobile-based Austal USA and Mississippi's Huntington Ingalls Industries.

The program is a huge prize: The Navy plans to buy 20 ships in what it has termed the FFG(X) program, which denotes an experimental guided-missile frigate. According to
a recent defense-industry report, officials anticipate paying nearly a billion dollars per ship.

To some extent, the frigates are envisioned as a successor to the Littoral Combat Ships. Austal builds one version of the LCS, an aluminum trimaran, in Mobile; Lockheed Martin builds a second version, a steel monohull, at Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyards in Wisconsin.

By Chip Cherry, CEO and president of the Huntsville Madison County Chamber Authority; and Valerie Gray,executive director of Chambers County Development

on February 20, 2018

Economic development is a team effort. Every day, more than 300 men and women across Alabama like us wake up and go to a job where they work tirelessly to grow their communities.

As economic developers, we are not politicians - we are community-minded individuals with an occupation that focuses on creating jobs and bringing new business to better our communities.

The passage of The Alabama Jobs Enhancement Act, HB317, should be important to every single person in Alabama. However, much confusion has been built around the bill, which was put forth to modernize, clarify and clean up economic development statutes.